Coincidence proportional counter



21, 1950 .1. H. MANLEY 2,53LM4 comcIDENcE PRoPoRTIoNAL COUNTER Fle-d D90. l5, 1945 ww M Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Y2,531,144 COINCIDENCE PROPORTINAL `COUNTER l John H. Manley, Urbana, Ill., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Application December 13, 1945., Serial No. 634,861

7 Claims. (Cl. Z50-27.5)

The present invention relates to a coincidence proportional counter, more specically to one which is especially adapted to measure the .energy spectrum of an ionizing source.

In the past, various types of devices have been employed to measure the range or. energyv spectrum of emission particles emanating from a radioactive source such as a source of alpha particles or recoil protons which cause ionization `in a gas-rilled chamber. rIhese devices generally have the common disadvantage of being cumbersome in structure and often not sufficiently reliable in operation. vAn object of the present invention,vr therefore; is to provide a novel, relatively simple and reliable coincidence proportional counter adapted forv energy spectra measurements of particleemitting radioactive sources.

A more specic object of the'vp'r'esent invention is to provide a novel'coincid'ence proportional counter having a plurality of collecting electrodes so disposed as to measure the range or energy spectrum of an ionizing, particle-emitting source, such as an alpha source or a source of recoil protons as obtained from the bombardment of parafn with neutrons.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

The single :figure is a longitudinal sectional View of a coincidence proportional counter chamber wherein the associated circuit is shown schematically. 'i

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

numeral l denotes a fiat box-like receptacle or chamber of brass'or other suitable material having a circular opening 2 in the top wall thereof and an upstanding cylindrical chamber portion 3 with an open bottom closely -tting in and sealed to the edge denning the circular opening 2 to form an enclosed chamber. Iing electrodes, l1, 5, Aand 6 in the form of cylindrical rings are axially spaced from one another and insulatingly supported from the chamber portion 3 by any suitable means, such as spaced insulators (not shown). It should be understood that while three collecting electrodes are shown,

Three collectv two or any larger number may be used dependamplifier and recording apparatus, per se, form no part of the present invention, hence are illustrated by block diagram Il). Insulators 1, 8, and 9 insulatingly support the wires fia, 5a, and 6a, respectively, in their passage through the Wall of the chamber portion 3.

A central wire ll extends axially of the collecting electrodes and is supported at the ends thereof and insulated from the chamber by means of insulators l2 and I3. Insulator i3 is held by a cross wire I4 extending across the open lower end of the cylindrical chamber portion 3 for maintaining central wire Il axially of the cylindrical chamber portion and of the collecing electrodes thereby maintaining a constant geometry. lA source of positive, high voltage is applied to Vcentral wire AIl so that it constitutes a high voltage electrode. The cooperating collecting electrodes Il, 5, and 6 are maintained at near ground potential, and hence, they may be considered in effect negative electrodes.

The chamber is lled with an ionizable gas such as argon, or some other rare gas. At the bottom ofthe chamber is vplaced a radioactive source I5such as a source which emits alpha particles or a source which emits recoil protons such as is obtained from the bombardment of parafn with neutrons or, in fact, any source which will emit radiant particles causing ionization of the gas and whose ionizing range or energy spectrum is to be measured.

The chamber is provided with a gas inlet tting or conduit i6 for supplying and releasing gas, to which may be connected a pressure gauge Il to indicate the gas pressure.

In operation, assuming alpha particles emerge from the source l5 with various amounts of energy, then their ranges will vary accordingly. As is well known in the art, such particles will ionize the argon gas and produce current irnpulses to be transmitted through and amplied by theJ coincidence amplifier circuit after detection by electrodes 4, 5 and 6. rlhe range of a particle, ofcourse, is determined not only by the energy. it has on emission but by the gas pressure maintained within the chamber. A particle having sufficient energy to travel as far as the middle collecting electrode 5 will cause a coincidence pulse in the counting circuits associated with the rst and second collectors. Similarly, a particle withV suicient energy to reach the third or furthermost collecting electrode 6 will cause a coincidence pulse to be recorded in each of the three counting circuits.

Thus it will be seen that by suitably adjust- 'l 3 ing the gas pressure and noting the number of coincidences recorded in the three counting circuits a measurement of the energy spectrum may be obtained. In using more energetic sources the pressure is increased so that the range of the particles will be decreased and confined substantially to the vicinity of the collecting electrodes.

It will be seen,'theref'ore, that there has been provided an eiiicient and relatively-simple proportional counter that is adapted to accurately i measure the energy spectrum of alpha and similar particles emitted by an ionizing source.

It will be apparent that mo'diiications will be readily suggested to those skilled-1 in,y the art from a study of the specification, 4.which tmodiicatio'n would come within the spirit and-purviewfof`fthe present invention, and, therefore, theinvention should not be limited except insofar as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. A proportional *counter rfor -.measuring the energy spectrum of ,a particle-emitting ionizing source comprising a chamber/containing Jargon gas,a wire-like electrode suspended-'centrally of said chambergacross wire for imaintaining'said electrode in its central position,-asource,of positive `high-voltage vconnected-to said electrode, a plurality of ring-shapedV collectingelectrodessurrounding and l'coaxiallysdisposed with respect to said Wire-like "electrode, a coincidence amp-liner circuit to which said ringlike-electrodes `areseparately connected, saidfcliamberfhaving la bottom portion supporting an 4alpha :particle fiemitting source lbelowsaid -wire-likeielectrodeiandsaid 'collecting electrodes .andsubstantially axially thereof, conduit I:means for :admitting gas, into said chamber, anda pressure :gaugeponnected to :said conduit means "for '.,indicating the gas pressure.

'2. Aradiation"counterscomprising,.inf combination, va plurality Voaxiallyspa'ced coaxial ringlike collecting electrodes, 'a `wire-like felectrode axialofisaid collecting electrodesfiseparate mutually insulated"conductingleads connected to each of said collecting` electrodes;and means for prop agating ionizing particles `substantially axially" ofnthe collectingelectrodesywhereby the passage of a f particle through lsuccessive vcollecting electrodes causes a current -pu-lse `through each vrof said :successive electrodes.

3. Inrradiation energy measurement apparatus:

a radiation counter comprising,incOmbination, a chamber iilled withanionizing medium, an elongated electrode Within said chamber, vand 'a plurality of collecting electrodes-spaced from said elongated electrode Within said chamber, saidcollecting electrodes being spacedrom'each other in the 'direction of elongation of said elongated -electro'de, and being mutually 'insulatedand insulated rfrom said elongated electrode; means for propagating ionizing particles substantially in the direction of elongation-ofsadfelongated'electrode; and a coincidence circuit connected by separate connections to said collecting electrodes; whereby the extent of `Voccurrence of coincident current pulses to successive 'collecting electrodes lconstitutes an indication-of the energyof said ionizing particles "f4, In radiation energy `measurement apparatus: afradiation counterfcomprising, in combination, a cham-berfiilled with 'an`ionizing medium, l -a `.wire-like electrode within 'said chamber, ya

plurality of ring-like collecting electrodes surrounding said Wire-like electrode within said chamber, said collecting electrodes being spaced from each other along said wire-like electrode, and being mutually insulated and insulated from said wire-like electrode; means for propagating ionizing particles substantially axially of the :collecting electrodes; and acoincidence circuit connected by separate connections to said collecting electrodes; whereby the extent of oc- -t'currence of coincident current pulses to succes- .sive collecting .electrodes constitutes an indica- "tion of the energy of said ionizing particles.

5. Aradiation counter comprising, in combinaticnia.chamber filled with an ionizing medium,

an-elongated electrode within said chamber, a .plurality ofcollecting electrodes spaced from said elongated electrode Within said chamber, said collecting electrodes being spaced from each other in the direction of elongation of said elongated electrode, 'separate conducting leads connected to each of said collecting electrodes, and .means for propagating ionizing particles substantially axially of the collecting electrodes, whereby the Vextent of occurrence lof current pulses to successive collecting electrodes constitutes an indication of the energy of said ionizing particles.

6. Airadiation measuring device comprising, in combinaton, a chamber filled with an ionizing medium, a wire-like electrode'within saidV chamber,a plurality of ring-like collecting electrodes surrounding said wire-like electrode within said chamber, said collecting electrodes beingspaced frorn1each other along said wire-like electrode, vand ksaid vcollecting electrodes being .mutually insulated and insulated from said Wire-.likeelectrode, and means for propagating ionizingparticles .substantially axially Yof the collecting electrodes, whereby the passage'of van ionizing'particlethrough each successive `collecting telectrode induces a' current pulse to thatelectrode.

i7. vA radiation measuring device comprising, 'in combination, va chamber filled with an ionizing medium, an elongated electrode within said chamber, a plurality of collecting electrodes spaced fromsaid elongated electrode within said chamber, said collecting electrodes being spaced fromA each otherin the direction of elongation of said elongated electrode, and said collecting electrodes being insulated from each other and from the elongated electrode, `and .means `for propagating ionizing particles in the direction of elongation of said elongated electrode, said means propagating-the particles between the elongated electrode-andthe collecting electrodes, whereby the'extent of occurrenceof current'plses to successive collectingelectrodes constitutesan indication of the energyof said ionizing particles.

f JOHN. H. MANLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,094,318 Failla Sept. 28, 1937 2,349,753 Pontecorvo May 23, 1944 2,397,071 AHare Mar. 19, 1946 '2,405,572 KFriedman Aug. 13, 1946 

